Breast development stage?

[josie76]

I'm kinda trying to figure out what to expect to feel and see at different stages.

I had many years of low T before coming to terms with myself where slow development started. About 5 years back I had little hard spots under my nipples. The last couple of years there was some tissue under my ariolas. The last 6 months I have had the aching and growth outward from the ariolas. They have put on some weight inside. The last 2 days my nipples hurt if just touched. There seems like a hard lump developing under both ariolas. This hurts if pressed on slightly.

From pictures I'm just guessing I'm at Tanner 3. Is the lump under the ariolas the start of Tanner 4? Maybe you ladies who have been through these stages can let us know what to expect to see and feel?

[Axolotl]

The lump is just gland tissue.  I had tanner stage 2 development (stuck at that stage) for 2 decades.  I always had lumps and sensitivity like you described.  It's no cause for concern, and it's not indicative of further development.  I am now on HRT and seem to be at stage 3 finally.  The differences I notice most are an increase in mass on the outer sides of the breast area, not the nipples.  I am going by visual diagrams to determine these stages.  The pain I feel in my breasts is mostly felt when something jabs or touches the breast tissue that is outside of the nipple area.  Like I said, sensitivity if the nipples has been noticeable since stage 2.

The best way to avoid irritating sensitive nipples is don't touch them, and don't do too much exercising or walking that causes friction between the nipples and shirts.

[Chris8080]

Enough posts about painful breasts and sore nipples to make me feel like the lone person out. Never a hint of any kind of pain in the breasts and the nipples being rubbed is the joy of my life. Nipples so intense at times I need to remind myself to breath. Fortunately that's not all the time, could be hard to function but wonderful beyond description. I intentionally wear loose shirts so the nipples do rub as they jiggle, even put pens or something in the shirt pocket to give the nipples something extra to rub against.

[KayXo]

Search Tanner and Breast on google image.

[Chris8080]

Search Tanner and Breast on google image.

Yep, been there done that. I don't pretend to explain it, simply that I am more than pleased with my own development thus far and pain or soreness has not been any part of it I am pleased to say. What others experience is I can't say and don't pretend to know other than what I've read here.

[Brooke]

For the friction I have used hikegoo or runnersgoo  to prevent any rawness- at least during exercise. It doesn't stain shirts/bras but you'd probably want to wash the bra before next use. Extremely thick and slick.  Hikersgoo  is a bit thicker than runnersgoo, thus lasting longer.

HikeGoo Blister Prevention Cream Specifically Formulated for Feet (3 oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RCIPH8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8Klbzb0BHN0TW


~Brooke~

[AnneK]

Never a hint of any kind of pain in the breasts

Perhaps you should discuss this problem with your doctor.   

[Chris8080]

Perhaps you should discuss this problem with your doctor.   

With as much of this as I've read here I probably will though I can't understand not being in pain is a problem. 

[Axolotl]

With as much of this as I've read here I probably will though I can't understand not being in pain is a problem. 

I think maybe you are misunderstanding what pain kind of we're talking about.  For me it's a very dull pain mostly.  Soreness is a better description.  Also, my particular soreness is felt mostly just when something jabs or hits my chest.  If nothing touches me, I feel mostly painless.  Occasionally (like right now) there is a very subtle soreness that is easy to ignore.

[Tori]

The difference between Tanner 3 & 4 is profound.

Tanner 3 is kind of the end of the outward growth phase. Conical boob growth.

Tanner 4 is when those cones start to fill out. Nipple and areola growth continues. Sensitivity increases, and your breasts start to feel cooler because their climate control abilities kick in. Boobs keep milk cooler than regular body temps. Much like the scrotum keep sperm cooler.

Bioidentical progesterone is thought to be of use for completing breast development. By the time you reach Tanner 3, without progesterone, your body may not have all it needs to finish the glandular development of your milk factories.

By Tanner 4, breasts feel to the touch very much like mature adult breasts (perhaps a little more dense because they are new).

Hope that helps.

[KayXo]

your breasts start to feel cooler because their climate control abilities kick in. Boobs keep milk cooler than regular body temps. Much like testicles keep sperm cooler.

Testicles, yea because they hang from the body but I never heard of this as far as breast milk goes. I always read breast milk was best at body temperature, around 37 Celsius, like it would be if the baby was breastfed directly by the mother.

[josie76]

The difference between Tanner 3 & 4 is profound.

Tanner 3 is kind of the end of the outward growth phase. Conical boob growth.

Tanner 4 is when those cones start to fill out. Nipple and areola growth continues. Sensitivity increases, and your breasts start to feel cooler because their climate control abilities kick in. Boobs keep milk cooler than regular body temps. Much like testicles keep sperm cooler.

Bioidentical progesterone is thought to be of use for completing breast development. By the time you reach Tanner 3, without progesterone, your body may not have all it needs to finish the glandular development of your milk factories.

By Tanner 4, breasts feel to the touch very much like mature adult breasts (perhaps a little more dense because they are new).

Hope that helps.

It might. There are only a few repeated graphics of breast stages online. Very little description of what actually is going on inside. Mine aren't very large but they are rounded nicely. Just noticed with the pain from slight pressure that there is now something more solid like directly under both ariolas. So wondering like so many others just what is going on in my body. I had several years of early puberty like effects that were either from my body making levels of estrogen on its own or increased aromatase that are possible side effects of two of the medicines I take. Either way it was a godsend when I had a vesectomy about 7 years ago and my T dropped off hard after a few months.

Looking forward to more changes. Oh I read that progesterone may push a tanner4 through to tanner5 but it may also require enough HGH and insulin like hormone 3 I think it was.

[Tori]

Yup. Right around that temperature in a bottle. Then it would instantly start to cool. Boobs do a bit of the cool down themselves.

[KayXo]

There are only a few repeated graphics of breast stages online. Very little description of what actually is going on inside.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanner_scale#Breasts_.28female.29

[KayXo]

Boobs do a bit of the cool down themselves.

Are you sure? Where did you get that information from? Any studies showing this to be the case and explaining the mechanism?

[Tori]

The evidence that progesterone helps complete breast growth and maturity is compelling. Combine that with the thousands of trans folks testimonials and you have a pretty solid case.

Speaking for myself, P has been an absolute godsend. I had pretty much given up on any further development. Now they feel entirely different both to touch and grab, and from my end, how the sensations are perceived.

But as always, YMMV, and you own your transition. Nobody else does.

[Tori]

Are you sure? Where did you get that information from? Any studies showing this to be the case and explaining the mechanism?

Lol. It is a bit harder to find any studies than I expected. Look for anything about breast temperature or milk temperature and you will learn about how to cook chickens and turkeys, and heat refrigerated breast milk.

So, here is an article that has nothing to do with what I am talking about, but it does show an infrared scan of a female torso. Red means hot, blue means cold. Look at the picture and notice what are the coldest zones.

http://www.iact-org.org/patients/breastthermography/what-is-breast-therm.html

Boobs also feel colder than the rest of the body once stage 4 is reached. They feel colder from the inside and to the touch.

[Chris8080]

Boobs keep milk cooler than regular body temps. Much like testicles keep sperm cooler.

Hope that helps.

I had never heard of this before either, interesting though. My breasts always feel cooler than the rest of me, something I've been curious about.

It's the scrotum that regulates testicle temp by expanding or contracting but yes, the evil twins are kept cooler. Not the sperm that's kept cooler though, it's the testicles because too warm and they produce less sperm.

[Tori]

Yup. The scrotum does the temp control down there. There is a biological reason for cold water shrinkage. Fertility maintenance.

[link5019]

The difference between Tanner 3 & 4 is profound.

Tanner 3 is kind of the end of the outward growth phase. Conical boob growth.

Tanner 4 is when those cones start to fill out. Nipple and areola growth continues. Sensitivity increases, and your breasts start to feel cooler because their climate control abilities kick in. Boobs keep milk cooler than regular body temps. Much like the scrotum keep sperm cooler.

Bioidentical progesterone is thought to be of use for completing breast development. By the time you reach Tanner 3, without progesterone, your body may not have all it needs to finish the glandular development of your milk factories.

By Tanner 4, breasts feel to the touch very much like mature adult breasts (perhaps a little more dense because they are new).

Hope that helps.

Tanner stage 4 is also about the most freaking slowest stage ever too XD. Like seriously -_- I've noticed the past few months  there has been minimal outward growth (not sure if that's the progesterone or just going to tanner 4), but I have noticed a lot of rounding so based on your description of tanner 4, that sounds like right where I'm at, though I personally hate the tanner scale if you base it purely on how boobs physically look, because it's so inaccurate. I know for me, I still feel very firm in the breasts, can feel the breast tissue pretty easily and still in a somewhat disc shape, but it's harder and hard to feel the discs the more fuller and bigger they get ^_^